| Assassination of George Tiller | |
|---|---|
 George Tiller gives a consultation in 1997 in his clinic, Women's Health Care, which he owned and operated from 1975 until his death. | |
| Location | Foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church 7601 East 13th Street Wichita, Kansas |
| Date | May 31, 2009 c. 10:00 a.m. (UTC-6) |
Attack type | Assassination |
| Victim | George Tiller, M.D. |
| Perpetrator | Scott Philip Roeder[1] |
| Motive | Anti-abortion violence |
| Verdict | Guilty on all counts |
| Convictions | First degree murder, aggravated assault (x2) |
| Sentence | Life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years, plus two years |
On May 31, 2009, George Tiller, an American physician from Wichita, Kansas, who was one of the few doctors in the United States to perform late terminations of pregnancy, was murdered by Scott Roeder, an anti-abortion extremist.[2][3][4] Tiller was shot to death at pointblank range during a Sunday morning service at his church, Reformation Lutheran Church,[5] where he was serving as an usher. Tiller had previously survived an assassination attempt in 1993 when Shelley Shannon shot him in the arms.
Roeder was arrested within three hours of the shooting and charged with first-degree murder and related crimes two days later. In November 2009, Roeder publicly confessed to the killing, telling the Associated Press that he had shot Tiller because "preborn children's lives were in imminent danger."[6][7] Roeder was found guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault on January 29, 2010,[8] and sentenced on April 1, 2010, to life imprisonment without any chance of parole for 50 years. This sentence was later reduced to allow for the possibility of parole after serving 25 years.[9]
- ^ Finger, Stan; Rodriguez, Joe (May 31, 2009). "Wichita abortion provider George Tiller shot to death at Wichita church". The Wichita Eagle.
- ^ Toppo, Greg (December 1, 2015). "Threat of violence ever-present at abortion clinics, advocates say". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
Anti-abortion extremist Scott Roeder gunned down Tiller... as he ushered at his Lutheran church.
- ^ Adams, Richard (April 1, 2010). "Scott Roeder sentenced to life in prison". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
Scott Roeder, the anti-abortion extremist who murdered Dr George Tiller, shouted "The blood of babies is on your hands!" as he was led from the courtroom in Wichita, Kansas, after receiving a life sentence without parole for 50 years.
- ^ Kort, Michele (Summer 2009). "A Man Who Trusted Women". MS Magazine. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ Joe Stumpe; Monica Davey (June 1, 2009). "Abortion Doctor Shot to Death in Kansas Church". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- ^ "AP: Man admits killing Kansas abortion doctor". NBC News. Associated Press. November 9, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- ^ "Some Fear Kan. Ruling May Spur Abortion Violence". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 11, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- ^ "Roeder Guilty of Murdering Abortion Provider". The Wall Street Journal. January 29, 2010. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- ^ "Scott Roeder sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole for 52 years". The Wichita Eagle. April 1, 2010. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2010.